Electrical connector



Dec. 26, 1967 .A. C. BROWN ET AL ELECTRICALCONNECTOR Filed Aug. 24, 1965Albert C. Brown,

Jack J. Moronro, Jack E. Antes,

Philip M. Phelps,

INVENTORS.

BY. L KOQLMQ'M ATTORNEY,

3,360,767 Un t d Stats Patent C Patented Dec. 26, 1967 3,360,767ELECTRICAL CONNECTOR Albert C. Brown, Corona, Jack J. Maranto, La Habra,and

Jack E. Antes and Philip M. Phelps, Long Beach, Calif.,

assignors to Hughes Aircraft Company, Culver City,

Calif., a corporation of Delaware Filed Aug. 24, 1965, Ser. No. 482,0814 Claims. (Cl. 339-176) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE This is an electricalconnector for coupling a conventional conductor such as a round wire toa circuit board. The connector includes a pair of deflectable loops inan insulating plug which are held by a restriction near the center ofthe plug to permit each of the loops to independently deflect as theyare engaged by a conductor termination device or the conductorterminations on a printed circuit board.

This invention relates to an electrical connector and more particularlyto an electrical connector for connecting small conductors to closelyspaced terminations of electrical circuits on printed circuit boards orother mateable contact elements.

The miniaturization of electronic systems and subsystems having hundredsand often thousands of conductors has necessitated the development ofterminal blocks and connectors. to which a large number of theterminations of these conductors may be removably connected. Heretofore,multiconnector terminal blocks have been available for the terminationof conductors on printed circuit boards which are spaced at certainintervals along the edge of the board such as at .100 inch centers.However, for computer applications such previously used spacings areexcessive and it has been found more desirable to space suchterminations at reduced distances such as at .050 inch centers. Inmulticonnector terminal blocks, such spacing may be used for mostconnectors since in computer applications large currents are not carriedby conductors. However, some connectors must be spaced on centers havinggreater distances of separation because of the necessity of connectinghigh electric current equipment such as a power supply to the printedcircuit board.

Therefore, it is an object of the present invention to provide animproved connector for a mating element such as a printed circuit board.

It is another object of the improved electrical connector of the presentinvention to provide a multicontact connector for making electricalcontact to printed circuit board conductor terminations spaced oncenters of different distances.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide an improvedelectrical connector for a printed circuit board having a spring loadedcontact element adapted to simultaneously and removably contact morethan one electrical conductor.

Briefly, the improved electrical connector of the present inventioncomprises a receptacle block having a plurality of cavities forreceiving single electrical conductors and a longitudinal groove forpositioning a printed circuit board or other mating electrical element.An insulating plug member supporting one or more spring contact elementsis retained in each cavity so that a conductor termination on a printedcircuit board makes contact with one part of the contact element, andone or more electrical conductors makes contact with another part of thecontact element. The contact elements are spring loaded into a preciseconfiguration in the insulating plug element prior to insertion into thecavity by a plurality of bosses formed in the plug to define theconfiguration of the contact element.

Other advantages of the invention will hereinafter become more fullyapparent from the following description of the drawings which illustratea preferred embodiment thereof and in which:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view shown in section of a receptacle blockshowing the positioning of the plug and spring contact element of thepresent invention;

FIG. 2 is an exploled perspective view showing the insulating plug and apair of spring contact elements;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged sectional view of a portion of the receptacleblock and printed circuit board showing in more detail the insulatingplug, spring contact element and conductor terminating device; and

FIG. 4 is a top elevational view of a portion of the terminal block ofthe present invention illustrating the positioning of contact elementsof different size in the block.

Referring now to FIGS. 1 and 2, a connector block or insulating body 10of a plastic material such as diallyl phthalate has been formed with aplurality of transverse chambers or cavities 12 and a longitudinalrecess 14. Typically, the block includes a flange 16 at each end havinga bore or aperture 18 therein for mounting the block to a supportstructure by bolts or screws (not shown). A pair of contact members orelements 20 typically formed from a continuous, one-piece metal thatstrip or wire such as high conductivity copper alloy, nickel alloy orberyllium copper alloy and having a unique shape is locked into contactwith an insulating plug 22 which is inserted into and retained withineach of the'chambers 12.

While in FIGS. 1 and 2 there is shown and hereinafter described aconnector block 10 with opposing chambers or cavities 12 and a pair ofcontact elements 20 cooperating with the insulating plug 22 to adapteach of the cavities 12 for the termination of independent electricalconductors, it should be understood that without varying from the scopeof the present invention, one of the rows of the plugs 22 and the pairof contact members 20 or one of the contact members 20 may be eliminatedif desired to make contact with only one side of a printed circuit boardor to make contact with conductor terminations spaced at greaterdistances respectively.

In addition to FIGS. 1 and 2; referring now to FIG. 3, each of thecavities 12 extends transversely of the insulating body 10 from top tobottom as pictured in the figures and contains a barrier or divider 24which divides it into two parts for a portion of its length starting atthe bottom and running slightly beyond a center point thereof. The sideof the cavity 12 is of uneven shape with first and second flat portionsor surfaces 26, 28 of different widths and an inclined surface 30 and ashoulder '32 between the fiat portions, While the divider 24 is ofgenerally rectanguluar shape as shown in cross section with flat sidesand a top surface 34, 36 respectively.

The insulating plug 22 has a generally elongated shape having a fingerportion 38, a slot or groove 40, an upper and lower spring positioningbosses 42, 44, and a pair of spring gripping bosses 46, 48 defining arestriction 50. The contact member or element 20 is folded or upset intoa double loop configuration with a right hand upper loop 52 and a lefthand lower loop 54. Theupper loop 52 is of slightly larger size than thelower loop 54 and has a fiat portion 56 adapted for contact with theprinted circuit board, while the lower loop 54 includes a pair ofdetents or recesses 58 for engaging and retaining an electricalconductor termination device 60 to which an electrical conductor 62 isaflixed by conventional means such as crimping the device to theconductor 62 after stripping the insulation.

To facilitate a better understanding of the unique connector of theinvention, the following is a detailed description of its assembly andoperation. Referring first to FIG. 2, each of the spring contactelements 20 is assembled into contact with opposite sides of the plug 22by inserting them into contact with the upper and lower bosses 42, 44and. the, retaining bosses 46, 48. By such assembly, a pre-load is puton the curved leg of the upper loop 52, as well as both of the legs ofthe lower loop 54, and the contact member 20 is brought intoelectrically shorting relationship by folding both of the ends ofcontact member 20 into contact with itself at substantially opposingpoints. The retention of ends of the upper and lower loops 52 and, 54between the retaining bosses 46 and 48 in the restriction 50 providesindependent fulcrum or pivot points for both the loops when they aredeflected by engagement with the mating electrical element and theconductor terminating device respectively. Thus, one loop may deflectabout the pivot point without affecting the other loop. The assembledplug 22 and contact member 20 are assembled into a cavity by insertingthem into the bottom of the cavity 12 in engagement with the sidethereof. The surface of the plug 22 remains in contact with the side ofthe cavity as the upper portion of the plug passes through therestriction 50 until a locking step 64 on the plug snaps into engagementwith the upper surface 36 of the barrier 24. Further movement of theplug 22 into the cavity 12 is prevented by the engagement of one surfaceof the plug with the shoulder 32 on the cavity wall. The plug isprevented from falling out of the cavity by the spring force of theupper loop holding the step 64 in contact with the surface 36.

While a specific type of conductor terminating device is shown and willhereinafter be described, this has been done for illustration only sinceother contact terminating devices may be used without varying from thescope of the present invention. The conductor terminating device 60 ofFIG. 3 is generally an elongated pin-like configuration having acylindrical contact locking portion 66 which is shaped to engage and belocked in position by the locking shoulder of the detent 58 in the lowerloop. As the pin 60 is inserted into the bottom of the cavity, it iseither guided to the right or left side of the contact member by a guideboss 68 and the corresponding adjacent divider surface 34 or the cavitysurface 28.

As the pin 60 is inserted into the terminal block as shown in FIG. 3,the contact locking portion 66 engages a knee 70 of the detent 58causing the lower leg to deflect inwardly allowing the locking portion66 under further advance to enter the detent. When a tip 72 of the pinengages the lower surface of the restrictive boss 48, acting as a stop,the depressed spring knee 70 returns to its locking position therebyretaining the locking portion 66.

When a printed circuit board 74 or other mating electrical element isinserted into the longitudinal groove 14 in receptacle block 10, theupper loop 52 is deflected inwardly by the edge of printed circuit board74. T1118 causes the legs of the upper loop to be deflected towards the.wall of the cavity and engage the printed circuit board with asubstantially constant spring force normal to the surface of the circuitboard because the upper loop 52 has been deflected sufliciently to bringthe contact surface 56 into substantially parallel relationship with thesurface of the circuit board.

The electrical current path of the improved connector of the presentinvention is from the electrical conductor 62 and termination device 60to the lower loop 70 of the contact member where it is divided at thepoint of contact of the two loops into a path around both of the legsofthe upper loop to the contact surface 56 engaging the printedcircuitboard. If desired, a second electrical conductor andtermination device(not shown) may be inserted into engagement with the other detent tocouple in a second circuit, ground connection or a redundant connectorpoint.

The upper edge of the plug locking stop 64 is chamfered or beveled toproduce a smooth assembly of the plug 22 into the block 10 and tofacilitate the entry of a removal tool (not shown) into the longitudinalgroove for unlatching the stop and removal of the plug and contactsprings by a downward force from the tool.

As shown in FIG. 4, when it is desired to make contact to printedcircuit board conductor terminations spaced on different centerdistances, the plug 22 and spring contact elements 26 in a terminalblock 10' may be replaced by a larger contact element 84. such as thatdescribed in co-pending patent application Ser. No. 338,805 filed J an.20, 1964, now Patent 3,273,109, and assigned to the same assignee as thepresent application. By such modification, those cavities containing theplug and contact elements of the present invention will make contactwith the conduc tor terminations spaced on one center distance whilethose cavities containing the larger contact element will make contactwith conductor terminations spaced on a different or larger cenerdistance. This enables high current drawing equipment to be coupled tothe same receptatcle as electrical components having lesser currentrequirements.

While one embodiment of this invention has been herein illustrated, itshould be appreciated by those skilled in the art that variations of thedisclosed arrangement both as to its details and the operation of suchdetails may be made without departing from the skill and scope thereof.Accordingly, it is intended that the foregoing disclosure and theshowings made in the drawings may be considered as illustrative of thisinvention and not construed in a limited sense.

What is claimed is:

1. An electrical connector comprising: an electrical conductor; areceptatcle block having a plurality of cavities each adapted to receivea mating electrical contact element; an electrical insulating plugmember supporting at least one flexible electrical contact element in atleast one of said cavities, each said flexible electrical contactelement including a pair of deflectable loop portions pivotally retainedby said plug member, one of said loop portrons being adapted to bedeflected into engagement with sa d mating electrical contact elementand the other of sa1d loop portions being adapted to be independentlydeflected into engagement with said electrical conductor, sa1d loopportions being formed in the opposite ends of an elongated metal stripwith the ends thereof looped into engagement with said strip in anopposing relationship at a point substantially adjacent the end of eachloop portion; and said plug member including a restriction adapted toretain the looped ends of said strip to provide an independent pivot foreach of said loop portions.

2. The electrical connector of claim 1 wherein the receptacle blockincludes a longitudinal groove for receivmg a printed circuit board asthe mating electrical contact element.

3. The electrical connector of claim 1 wherein said electrical conductorincludes a termination device and said other loop portion includes apair of detents in opposite legs thereof for engaging and retaining morethan one termination device.

4. The electrical connector of claim 1 wherein one loop portion is aleft hand loop and the other loop portion is a right hand loop and bothof said loops are folded into electrically shorted relationship byengaging opposite sides of said elongated strip.

(References on following page) References Cited 3,173,737 3/1965 Kinlgidet a1. 339-176 EadS 2,978,666 4/1961 McGregor 339 -176 X MARVIN A.CHAMPION, Primary Examiner. 3,118,716 1/1964 Breillier 339-176 5 W.DONALD MILLER, Examiner.

3,160,459 12/1964- GTCO et a1. 339-176 J R, MOSES, Assistant Examiner.

1. AN ELECTRICAL CONNECTOR COMPRISING: AN ELECTRICAL CONDUCTOR; ARECEPTACLE BLOCK HAVING A PLURALITY OF CAVITIES EACH ADAPTED TO RECEIVEA MATING ELECTRICAL CONTACT ELEMENT; AN ELECTRICAL INSULATING PLUGMEMBER SUPPORING AT LEAST ONE FLEXIBLE ELECTRICAL CONTACT ELEMENT IN ATLEAST ONE OF SAID CAVITIES, EACH SAID FLEXIBLE ELECTRICAL CONTACTELEMENT INCLUDING A PAIR OF DEFLECTABLE LOOP PORTION PIVOTALLY RETAINEDBY SAID PLUG MEMBER, ONE OF SAID LOOP PORTIONS BEING ADAPTED TO BEDEFLECTED INTO ENGAGEMENT WITH SAID MATING ELECTRICAL CONTACT ELEMENTAND THE OTHER OF SAID LOOP PORTIONS BEING ADAPTED TO BE INDEPENDENTLYDEFLECTED INTO ENGAGEMENT WITH SAID ELECTRICAL CONDUCTOR, SAID LOOPPORTIONS BEING FORMED IN THE OPPOSITE ENDS OF AN ELONGATED METAL STRIPWITH THE ENDS THEREOF LOOPED INTO ENGAGEMENT WITH SAID STRIP IN ANOPPOSING RELATIONSHIP AT A POINT SUBSTANTIALLY ADJACENT THE END OF EACHLOOP PORTION; AND SAID PLUG MEMBER INCLUDING A RESTRICTION ADAPTED TORETAIN THE LOOPED ENDS OF SAID STRIP TO PROVIDE AN INDEPENDENT PIVOT FOREACH OF SAID LOOP PORTIONS.